Mycobacterium bovis, the causative agent of bovine tuberculosis, has no known geographical boundaries. M. bovis infection occurs in diverse groups of animals, which include farm animals of economic importance, wildlife, and humans (1,16,17,31). Despite these ominous features of M. bovis, to date there have been only projected global estimates of the disease burden. There has been no international effort to determine the actual disease burden, owing to the nonavailability of a reliable user-friendly technology for early detection of M. bovis in clinical samples. Bovine tuberculosis has been on the increase in developed countries and continues to occur in developing countries (6, 14, 16). In Africa, approximately 85% of cattle and 82% of the human population live in areas where the disease is prevalent (6, 26). There are limited reports from India (24, 27, 38, 40) and from underdeveloped countries (6, 16) relating to the prevalence of and infection with M. bovis in cattle. Detection of M. bovis in bovine samples has become necessary, as infected animals are potentially capable of infecting humans (zoonotic tuberculosis) (6). Besides M. bovis, transmission of M. tuberculosis from infected humans to animals and back has been reported (reverse zoonosis) (10,12,41). Hence, M. bovis and M. tuberculosis pose a potential health hazard to both animals and humans (1,15,43).The identification of the closely related members of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTC) has remained a challenging task in diagnostic laboratories (7,30,44). MTC includes a variety of closely related mycobacteria, namely, M. tuberculosis, M. bovis, M. canetti, M. africanum, and M. microti. A panel of classical tests based on microbiological features such as growth rate and phenotypic and biochemical characteristics has conventionally been utilized to distinguish members of MTC (30). However, these tests are slow, cumbersome, unreliable, and time-consuming. The high degree of variability among these tests warrants the development of molecular biological tools for identification of MTC members. In this regard, multiple gene targets have been used to date to detect and differentiate genetically identical species, such as M. tuberculosis and M. bovis. The gene targets include pncA (2,29,36), gyrB (5), oxyR (42), and katG (19). Huard et al. (21) and Richter et al. (33) have targeted multiple loci and genes to differentiate M. tuberculosis from M. bovis. However, to date no single accepted protocol(s) that can unambiguously differentiate all members of the MTC is available. Identification of the etiological agent belonging to MTC is important for determination of the origin and reservoirs of infection and also for implementation of appropriate public health measures.Our laboratory earlier described a PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) method utilizing the hupB gene,

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Dental caries comprises of highly complex, variable and uncultivable microbial population with dental caries, even though prime organisms are commonly known to be allied with disease succession. Association of mutans group Streptococci and Lactobacilli with the initiation of caries and early caries development have been well documented. Studies have shown transition of early caries causing gram-positive primary facultative bacteria to anaerobic gram-positive rods and cocci and gram-negative rods as the lesion progresses to deep carious lesion. The permeation of microorganisms into the soft dentine maintains the acidity and consequently jeopardizes the pulp vitality. Excavation of soft dentin will further lead to pulp exposure, and therefore it is imperious to preserve the pulp vitality by a thorough and conservative approach with the use of efficacious unguents instead of resorting to endodontic therapy. Commonly used material in view of pulp preservation is Mineral Trioxide Aggregate (MTA), a calcium silicate based material that has been widely used in treatment of deep dentinal caries, including root-end filling, direct pulp capping, and regenerative endodontic procedures because of its resourceful properties like antibacterial activity, anti-inflammation, biocompatibility and osteo/odontogenicity. Previous studies have shown pronounced anti-bacterial efficiency of MTA against Lactobacillus acidophilus (LB).

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There has been a great deal of research in the area of motional aids for the visually challenged and impaired. Smart systems have been proposed for ease of use and greater accuracy. The current paper proposes a smart system to aid visually challenged people in traversing obstacle-filled paths. The solution uses an Arduino board paired with ultrasonic sensor for implementation of the system, which is augmented by the addition of a piezoelectric speaker and variable intensity vibration motor.